Moderator's 2018 Easter Message:Hallelujah, Christ Is Risen!

Hallelujah, Christ Is Risen!

(Transcript of video message)

Hallelujah, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, hallelujah!

That is our Easter refrain—full of joy and conviction. But that sure wasn’t the response ofJesus’ disciples on that first Easter morning. The various gospel accounts show the disciplesresponding with awe, fear, incomprehension, doubt, terror, and amazement.

Our response is born of hindsight. Knowing what we now know about how it all turned out,we think of Easter morning and we declare, “Hallelujah!”

But when one is in the midst of resurrection, when it is happening to you or around youright now, it’s a very different experience: full of uncertainty, anxiety, dread, and disbelief.

Resurrection is, by its very nature, unexpected and unimaginable. We cannot see it coming;we are never prepared for it. It is the revelation of new life where just moments ago therewas nothing but the possibility of despair and loss.

The hallelujahs we announce at Easter are our affirmation that despite whateverhopelessness threatens to overwhelm us, we trust in the power of God’s love to bring aboutresurrection within our lives. We don’t know when, we don’t know how, we don’t know whatit will look like, and we will certainly be confused and confounded by it if it should happen.But today, our hallelujahs declare that we believe resurrection is possible.

And so we do not lose hope, no matter how hopeless a situation appears.

This Easter season, as you sing, shout, whisper, and proclaim “Hallelujah!” may itstrengthen your faith in the power and possibility of new life for you, your church, and ourworld.